1. Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a nozzle plate in which nozzles used for ejecting ink are formed, and to a nozzle plate manufactured by the manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A-Hei.10-226070 describes a technique for manufacturing a nozzle plate in which nozzle holes are formed, by means of pressing a hoop member, which is to become a nozzle plate, through use of a metal mold, wherein punches used for forming nozzle holes are arranged at uniform intervals on the metal mold in a paper feed direction and a plurality of punch rows are also arranged on the metal mold in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction. According to this manufacturing method, the hoop material is pressed by means of the metal mold, to thus form nozzle blind holes. The hoop material is then moved in the paper feed direction and positioned such that the punches on the metal mold face spaces between the nozzle blind holes. The hoop material is again pressed by means of the metal mold. Dowels having been projected by the nozzle blind holes are removed through abrasion, and the continuous hoop material is cut, to thus manufacture nozzle plates in which a plurality of nozzle holes are formed. Thus, the hoop material is twice subjected to pressing through use of a single metal mold, so that a nozzle plate in which a desired number of nozzle holes are formed can be manufactured with use of punches in a number of punches about half that of the nozzle holes to be formed in the nozzle plate. The number of punches implanted on the metal mold can be made smaller than the number of nozzle holes, and hence the cost of the metal mold can be curtailed.